Sunday, March 26, 2017

What's Next for Nicholas Duke?

As I’ve stated, Nick Duke will appear in a series of novels that chronicle his adventures and mis-adventures as a poet and writer. The books cross the time-span of a decade and change, and will not only explore the facets of Nick's character, but also supporting characters, like Neville Acosta. Neville and Nicholas go way back, and he is a central force of one of the future stories. We won't see much Neville, though, in the upcoming sequel I am currently writing. The Distance To The End is the first published
book in the series but actually the third conceived story line. There are four other stories besides The Distance... and its sequel. I’d already started writing rough drafts for two of them when The Distance To The End came along, and the other two were conceived after The Distance... completion. To be square, on the Nicholas Duke timeline, the four stories take place before The
Distance To The End. You may see them as prequels for
perspective, but I do not consider them prequels. The next project involving
Nicholas Duke that I am most concerned with, however, and currently working
on, is the sequel to The Distance…; and, yes, I do consider this a sequel. The
title is 80% finalized. I had the perfect idea for it. I think it sums up a
nuance for the story, and for me. The draft is in the rough, and incomplete.
The sequel, like its predecessor, was never supposed to exist. They are happy
little accidents. And a great voucher in regards to the organic nature of
creation and release. After all, the first four stories won’t be read till
later. The Distance To The End, though, was sudden inspiration. It was born of
need to release. And the sequel will
exist because readers may feel entitled to know what becomes of Nicholas and Raoul
in the aftermath of their Las Vegas excursion. The sequel explores that, and the
only other teaser I’ll give regarding the story is: we’ll see Nick in Texas
visiting someone readers may remember from The Distance… This story comes at a
very tumultuous time for Nick and his boyfriend, Raoul. And though my intent is
not to write a crazy, drama ridden expose on a modern gay relationship, this is the hook, and comes by way of experience and imagination, a decoration of the
memories of life, and an expression of the daydreams of fiction. And I am its
slave. Still, Nick and Raoul do face very serious questions, their status alone
being the big one. How does one recover from the madness these two faced while
on a bender in Las Vegas? What consequences have emerged? And now, new questions arise: Why is Nick going to Texas? And, who is he going to meet? And what are the other four stories? I promise, dear reader, I won't do any more teaser posts. But, I if you’ve read
this far I am grateful, and, as ever, this issue can only be, 'to be continued.'

Wanna know what all the fuss is about? Pick up your copy of The Distance To The
End, today! (links to the left)